“Sometimes you pick up a hand that looks small but, as the auction proceeds, it can grow.” Source: Mr Bridge Sometimes you pick up a hand that looks small but, as the auction proceeds, it can grow. In a money game as dealer at game all, you pick up: The hand is weak but you bid 4Spade Suitlast time as your prospects seem to have improved. It is your turn again after 5Heart Suitfrom LHO and two passes. Well, you have only a queen but partner has bid twice vulnerable and is favourite to be 5-6 in the blacks. You try 5Spade Suit bravely, which RHO doubles on the way out. This is the full deal: 5Spade Suit makes easily and 5Heart Suitwill make too if you miss your club ruff. Your hand grew in value once you knew that partner had a black two-suiter, so do not underbid just because it is small! Still in a money game, you pick up: This is typical, another small hand! Your gloom is short-lived when your partner deals and opens 2club suit (your big bid). You respond 2Diamond Suit(negative/waiting) dutifully and partner surprises you again by re-bidding 2Heart Suit. Now it is time to re-evaluate. Partner has announced a game-forcing hand with hearts as its primary suit. In that context, your hand has become very powerful as you have four-card trump support and a singleton. Do not underestimate the power of this hand. Best is 3Spade Suit, a ‘splinter bid’ showing a spade shortage and good heart support. Partner next bids 4club suit as a cuebid; now you have nothing more to say so should sign off in 4Heart Suit. To your surprise, partner leaps to 6Heart Suit! Fear not, the full deal: South was in fact looking for a grand slam with his 4club suit cue-bid. Once he heard you show your spade shortage, he knew that the small slam was a virtual certainty. Now that you are getting the idea: Partner opens 1Heart Suitand RHO overcalls 1Spade Suit. You pass and LHO passes too. Partner bids 3club suit and RHO passes. It looks natural to give preference to three hearts, but think! Re-evaluate your hand. You have three-card support when you might not have and you have a useful card in partner’s second suit so you should take the pressure off partner and bid 4Heart Suit. The full deal: As you can see, partner really does not have anything special for his actions and 4Heart Suitis a great contract, making easily with the even heart break. So remember; be prepared to re-evaluate your hand as the auction progresses and ‘don’t underbid small hands’.

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